1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to damping devices and in particular to a means for protecting and damping flexible waveguides that are exposed to dynamic environments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Waveguides are generally employed to transmit microwave energy signals between various components of a microwave system. When there is relative motion between these electronic components, the waveguides must be flexible in order to accommodate any misalignments caused by this movement.
Relative movement between electronic components is especially severe on board Naval weapon-carrying vessels. Typically, electronic systems are enclosed in isolator cabinets which are especially designed to isolate the electronic components contained therein from the high shock and vibration levels caused by the firing of heavy deck guns and rockets. These cabinets effect this isolation by translating severe shocks into a series of much smaller vibrations. Thus, flexible waveguides must clearly be utilized to transmit the microwave signals between these isolator cabinets.
A basic problem arises from the use of flexible waveguides in this type of environment in that, as the waveguide moves and vibrates with the cabinet, the flexibility of the waveguide actually serves to amplify these cabinet vibrations within the waveguide. Thus big cabinet excursions may become sufficiently amplified by the waveguide structure to cause waveguide cracking and fatiguing at the waveguide flanges.
This type of waveguide-shell vibration must be attenuated in order to give the waveguide a reasonable operational life. Yet, it is clear from the above discussion that this requirement of attenuation of waveguide-shell vibrations and the translation requirement of the electronic cabinets needed for shock isolation are mutually exclusive.